Clock.



No. 767,119. PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904. W. E. PORTER.

- CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5, 1904.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904.

W. E. PORT ER.

CLOCK.

APPLIOATION FILED 1 1:3.5, 1904.

3 SHEETs-SHEET 2.

no MODEL.

No. 767,119. PATENTED vAUG. 9, 1904. W. E. PORTER.

GLOGK.

APPLICATION FILED I'BB.5, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES Patented- August 9, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

WILSON E. PORTER, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO NEW HAVEN CLOCK COMPANY, OF NElV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPO- RATION.

CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,119, dated August 9, 1904.

I Application filed February 5, 1904. Serial No. 192,110. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILSON E. PORTER, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Clocks; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a view in elevation of one form which a clock-movement embodying my invention may assume, with the front mechanism removed and with some of the staffs or arbors in transverse section; Fig. 2, a top View of the clock-movement with the escapement-train removed; Fig. 3, a broken view of the timetrain in front elevation; Fig. 4, a detached plan View of the weight, the weight-carrier, and the means employed for transmitting the power of the weight to the time-train, a portion of the front movement-plate in horizontal section being also shown; Fig. 5, a view in vertical section on the line a b of Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a detached view in elevation of the weight and the pivotal weight-carrier; Fig. 7, acorresponding View of the let-0E lever; Fig. 8, a detached broken view showing the multiple springpawl and the ratchetwheel which drives the time-train; Fig. 9, a view in rear elevation of a clock-1novement containing one of the modified forms which my invention may assume, the rear movement-plate being removed and some of the staffs or arbors being shown in transverse section; Fig. 10, a partial plan view of the same clock-movement, showing my improved mechanism and omitting the other parts for the sake of clearness.

My invention relates to an improvement in remontoir-clocks of the type in which the prime motor is employed to raise a secondary motor in the form of a weight the descent of which is used to drive the time-train, the object being to produce a simple, durable, and reliable mechanism constructed with particular reference to reducing the friction of its longing the running time of the clock on one winding.

\Vith these ends in view my invention conslsts in a remontoir-clock in which the power of the prime motor is utilized to suddenly or by a quick impulse raise the weight which drives the time-train beyond the point to which it could be raised if the power of the prime motor were gradually applied-as, for instance, through the medium of gearing.

My invention further consists in a clockmovement having certain details of construction and combinations of parts, aswill be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention the several features of a remontoir-clock movement embodying it may assume a variety of forms, of which the illustration and description of two of such forms have seemed to me suflicient for the disclosure of my improvement.

In the construction shown by Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive, I employ a small disk-shaped weight 2, forming a secondary motor located between the front and rear movement-plates 3 and A and secured to the outer end of the long arm 5 of a pivotal weight-carrier 6, having a perforation 7 to receive a bushing 8, journaled upon the inner end of a stud 9, fixed in the front movement-plate 3. As shown, the said arm 5 carries a small forwardly-projecting stud 10, split to receive the upper ends of three flat springs 11, laid one upon the other and forming a multiple pawl. These springs are graduated in length, so that their lower ends project beyond each other and virtually triple the number of teeth in the fine-toothed ratchet-wheel 12. lVhen the weight is raised, that spring the terminal of which is nearest to the face of the tooth presented by the said wheel will be engaged for rotating the wheel during the descent of the weight. The next time the weight is raised that spring nearest to the face of the tooth presented by the wheel will be engaged, and so on., .There will be no regular order in which the several springs will be engaged with the teeth of the wheel, as their engageremontoir features to the minimum and to proi ment will depend entirely upon the height to obvious to need illustration; but I should then lose the advantage above described resulting from the employment of aplurality of springs. The said ratchet-wheel 12 is staked to one end of a hub 13, journaled upon the said stud 9.

Agear-wheel 14, staked upon the other end of thehub 13, meshes into a center pinion 15,

mounted on the center arbor 16 of the clockmovement. A fine toothed safety ratchetwheel 17, rigidly connected with the wheel 14 and located between the same and the front movement-plate 3, has its teeth constantly engaged by a safety-pawl 18, formed from a thin spring and secured to a stud-19, projecting inwardly from the said plate 3, the said safety ratchet-wheel 17 and pawl 18 coacting to prevent the retrograde movement of the gear 14 when the weight 2 is being kicked, so to speak, into its raised position, as will be described later on, whereby the time-train isprevented from being disturbed during the kicking of the weight. The weight-carrier 6 is also furnished with a rearwardly projecting unlocking-pin 20, the function of which will be described later on. It alsohas a short arm 21, the upper edge 22 of which is utilized in kicking up the weight, as will be explained hereinafter.

The impact weightraising mechanism of my improved clock comprises, as shown, what I may, for want of a better term, call a kicking or impact wheel 23, having nine forwardly-projecting finger-like teeth 24, which are widely though equally separated from one another and which when'the wheel is rotated strike swift blows upon the edge 22 of the short arm 21 of the weight-carrier 6, whereby the said carrier is turned on the journal 9 and its weight 2 raised to its starting position so suddenly that the term kick has seemed to me appropriate to describe the operation. The said kicking-wheel 23 is staked to the hub 25 of the terminal wheel 26, so to speak, of the power-train, the said hub being rigidly secured to a staff 27, journaled at its ends in the front and rear movement-plates 3 4. The terminal wheel 26 meshes into a pinion 28, lo-

' cated upon a staff 29, which carries a locking- The other member of the said lever consists of a downwardly-extending unlocking-arm 34,

gagement with a stop-pin 42, mounted in the front movement-plate 3, is provided for exerting a constant efiort to draw the locking-- hook 32 downward into the path of the lock:

The said lever is mounted ing-teeth 31 and to move the unlocking-face 35 into position to be engaged by the unlocking-pin 20. The said stop-pin 42 is employed to prevent the spring 39 from swinging. the let-off lever too far. The parts j ust described that is to say, the weight-kicking wheel 23, the. locking-wheel 30, the two-armed let-off lever 33, and the coiled spring 39, &c..together form what I have chosen to call the impact weight-raising mechanism of my improved clock. A pin 2, fixed in the plate 3, is provided for preventing the weight 2 from being kicked too high.

In addition to the Wheel 26 the power-train comprises a pinion 43, located on the shaft 27, a large wheel 46, into which the pinion 43 meshes, a large Wheel 47, secured to a pinion 48 on a shaft 49, two Winding-Wheels 50 and 51, meshed into by the pinion 48, and two heavy power-springs 52 and 53, mounted. on

winding-arbors 54 and 55, carrying the wheels 50 and 51.

The time-train consists, as shown, of a minute-wheel 56, mounted upon the projecting front end of the center arbor 16, its rear face bearing against a spider-like friction-spring 57, mounted on the said arbor with which the said wheel 56 is thus frictionally coupled, so as to rotate with it. The said minute-wheel meshes into a dial or intermediate minutewheel 58, turning loosely on a stud 59, projecting forward from the front movementplate 3 and provided with a pinion 60, meshing into the hour-wheel 61, which is sleeved over'the forwardly-projecting socket 56 of the minute-wheel 56. The minute-hand (not shown) is applied to the said socket, while the hour-hand (not shown) is applied to the socket 61 of the'hour-wheel 61.

The escapement-tiain of the clock comprises, as herein shown, a center wheel 63, mounted on the rear end of the center arbor 16 and meshing into a pinion 64 on a stafl 65, carrying a wheel 66, meshing into an escapement-pinion 67 on the staff 68 of the crown or escapement wheel 69, the teeth of which are engaged by'a verge 70, mounted on a vergestafi 71, which in the usual way carries the crutch-wire (not shown) engaging with the upper end of the pendulum-rod. (Also not shown.)

For convenience of description it may be supposed that the weight is in its starting position. From this point it will descend very slowly by gravity under the control of the escapement-train. The weight descends with one of the springs 11 of its multiple pawl in engagement with a tooth of the ratchet-wheel 12 and acts through the wheel 14 to revolve the center arbor, and hence drive the timetrain. During this time the power-train will be locked by the engagement of the locking-hook 32 with one of the locking-teeth 31 of the locking-Wheel 30. It will be apparent that from the beginning to the end of the downward movement of the weight the power applied to drive the dialwork will be absolutely uniform, the same as in a weight clock, whereas in ordinary spring-clocks the power employed to drive the dialwork declines steadily from the time the clock is wound up until it has run down, which of course impairs the performance of the clock as a timepiece. Just before the weight reaches the limit of its downward movement the unlocking-pin 20 engages with the face 35 of the arm 34 of the two-armed let-off lever, whereby the same is swung with the effect of lifting its arm 35, and so lifting the unlockinghook 32 away from that one of the teeth 31 of the locking-wheel 30 with which it is at the time engaged. This releases the power-train, which will be started with all the energy represented by the two power-springs 52 and 53, with the result that one of the teeth 2 1 of the kicking-wheel 23 will strike the upper edge 22 of the short arm 21 of the weight-carrier 6 with such force that the same will be so quickly turned on the stud 9 that the weight 2 will be kicked to an elevation to which it could not be raised by the mere pressure downward of one of the teeth 24 upon the edge 32 of the tail of the weight-carrier 6. I may explain in this connection that when the hook 32 is engaged with one of the teeth 31 of the locking-wheel 30 the proximate tooth 24: of the kicking-wheel 23 will stand sufficiently above the upper edge 22 of the arm 21 of the weight-carrier 6 to strike the said arm 21 a sharp blow when the wheel 23 is released. Now just as soon as the pin 20 has operated to unlock the let-off lever 33 the same is released and by its spring 39 swung into its locking position in time to be engaged by the next succeeding tooth 31 of the locking-wheel 30. The power-train will therefore be relocked and held in restraint after having been released just long enough to permit the kicking-wheel 23 to kick the weight from its depressed unto its elevated position. The weight will now descend and drive the time-train as before, and the operation above described will be repeated.

By my improved construction I reduce the friction of the operation of the remontoir features to the minimum without making them too delicate to withstand ordinary usage. I am, furthermore, enabled to run my improved clock by suitable attention to the question of gearing for a much longer time than a springcloek having one or more springs of the same power could be run, for the reason that 1 virtually gain time by just so much as the weight is kicked beyond the point to which it could be raised by the steady application of power through gearing, as has heretofore been done, as distinguished from the blow delivered by the kicking-wheel 23.

As already stated, my improvement may assume a variety of forms. For example, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings, the weight 72 is mounted upon the outer end of the arm 73 of a pivotal weight-carrier 74, hung upon a stud 75 in the front movement-plate 76. The said weight-carrier 7 1 has an arm 77 furnished with a multiple pawl '78, engaging with the teeth of a fine-toothed ratchetwheel 79, fixed so as to rotate with a gearwheel 80, meshing into a pinion 81 on the center arbor 82. A fine-toothed safety ratchetwheel 83, fixed to the wheel 79. has its teeth engaged by a safety-pawl Sat, which prevents the retrograde movement of the wheel 79 when the weight is being raised. The lever 74: is also formed with an operating-arm 85, having a cam-like unlocking-face 86, which coacts with an unlocking-pin 87, mounted in the arm 88 of a long swinging let-off lever 89, depending from a staff 90, journaled between the upper ends of the movement-plates 76 and 91 and engaged by a coiled spring 92, exerting a constant effort to swing the lever so as to move the pin 87 toward the unlocking-face 86 of the weight-carrier. The said let-off lever is also furnished with a lockingarm 93, the upper edge of which coacts with a series of pins 94:, mounted in a wheel 95, which in this construction is both a lockingwheel and a weight-kicking wheel. Normally one of the pins 94 is engaged with the upper edge of the arm 93; but when the escapementlever 89 is operated by the action of the camlike unlocking-face 86 upon the pin 87 the said pin 94 drops off from the upper edge of the arm 93, whereby the entire power of the power-train is immediately focussed in a blow delivered by the same pin upon the upper edge of the arm 85, with the effect of suddenly turning the lever 7 1 on the stud '75 and kicking the weight 72 into its starting position; but scarcely has this happened before the spring 92 swings the let-off lever89 so as to bring the edge of its locking-arm 93 under the next succeeding pin 94: of the wheel 95, whereby the power-train is relocked and so held until again released by the descent of the weight into its lowermost position. It will thus be seen that the action of this device is the same in principle as that first described; but instead of employing independent locking and and kicking wheels I employ a single wheel 95, having a single set of pins 94:. The wheel 95 is mounted upon a staff 97, carrying a pinion 98, meshed into by a wheel 99, mounted upon a staff 100, carryinga pinion 101, meshing into a wheel 102, mounted on a staff 103 and having a pinion 104, which is meshed into by the main wheels 105 of two springs, (not shown,) but wound upon winding-arbors 106 107, each having aratchet-wheel 108 coacting with pawls 109. In this construction also a weight employed to drive the time-train is periodically lifted, or, as it were, wound up by momentarily subjecting it to the centralized lifting or kicking power of the powertrain, which is periodically unlocked and locked for the purpose.

It is apparent from the modification shown and described and of others which may obviously be made that in carrying out my invention its several features may assume avariety of forms. I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to the construction herein shown and described, but hold myself at liberty to make such departures therefrom as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

I am aware that it is old in electric clocks to periodically lift a weight employed to drive the time-train by means of an electric current passed through a magnet the armature of which lifts the weight. I am also aware that it is old to drive the time-train of a springclock by means of a hair-spring periodically wound to a predetermined degree by power transmitted to it from the mainspring. I am further aware that it is old to drive the timetrain of a clock by means of a weight periodically raised to a predetermined height by power transmitted to it from a large spring forming the prime motor of the clock. I do not, therefore, broadly claim a periodicallylifted weight for driving the time-train of a clock nor the transference of the power of the mainspring of a clock to secondary means for driving the time-train thereof.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a remontoir-clock, the combination with a power-train, of a time-train, a weight for driving the time-train, and means to suddenly transmit the power of the power-train to the weight for raising the same by a quick impulse to which the weight is free to respond.

2. In a remontoir-clock, the combination with a power-train, of a time-train, a weight for driving the time-train, and means released by the descent of the weight and operated by the power-train for raising the weight by a quick impulse to which the weight is free to respond.

3. In a remontoir-clock, the combination with a power-train, of a time-train, a weight for driving the time-train, a pivotal carrier for the weight, a kicking-arm connected with the said pivotal carrier, an impact weight-raising mechanism operated by the power-train and coacting with the said kicking-arm to raise the weight by aquick impulse to which the weight is free to respond.

4:. In a remontoir-clock, the combination with a power-train, of a time-train, a weight for driving the time-train, a pivotal carrier for the weight, a kicking-arm connected with the carrier, alet-oif lever normally restraining the power-train and operated to release the power-train by the descent of the weight, and a kicking-wheel operated by the power-train and coacting with the said kicking-arm to raise the weight by a quick impulse to which the weight is free to respond.

5. In a remontoir-clock, the combination with a power-train, of a time-train, a weight for driving the time-train, a pivotal weightcarrier for the weight, a kicking-arm connected with the said weight-carrier, let-01f mechanism normally restraining the powertrain and operated by the said carrier to release the said power-train, and akicking-wheel operated by the power-train and coacting with the kicking-arm of the carrier to lift the weight by a sudden impulse towhich the weight is free to respond.

6. In a remontoir-clock, the combination with a power-train, of a time-train, a weight for driving the time-train, a pivotal weightcarrier, a kicking-arm connected with the said carrier, a let-0H lever having an unlockingarm coacting with the carrier and a lockingarm coacting with the power-train, and a kicking-wheel operated by the power-train, released by the said unlocking-arm through the medium of the carrier and by impact upon the said kicking-arm raising the weight by a sudden impulse to which the weight is free to respond.

7 In a remontoir-clock, the combination with a power-train of a time-train, a weight for driving the time-train, a pivotal carrier WILSON E. PORTER.

Witnesses GEORGE BRYNING, EUGENE CARTIER. 

